DELGOSEA network meets in Thailand

Story and photos by Chhay Sophal
Cambodia News & New Youth

Bangkok (15 Jan, 2014): With support from Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), the network for Democratic Local Governance in Southeast Asia (DELGOSEA) on Wednesday conducted a regional meeting in Bangkok to focus on the perspectives for the development of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as a value based community.

The two-day meeting aims to promote public discussion about ASEAN as a value based community of nations in the region, to create awareness among media and political decision makers in ASEAN member states on the importance of improvements in local governance for the future of the community, and to strengthen the perception of DELGOSEA as a key knowledge sharing and advocacy network among stakeholders in local governance in ASEAN.

Several topics are discussed in which: “5-Years ASEAN Charter – Perspectives for the development of ASEAN as a value based community; Institutional mechanisms for promoting good local governance in the European Union; The status of administrative and financial decentralization – Subsidiarity in the ASEAN member states; Models of peoples participation in local decision making in ASEAN member states; and Transparency, Accountability, Professionalism, Effectiveness – assessment of good local governance in ASEAN member states.

The meeting also introduces a draft Manifesto of the DELGOSEA Network on “ASEAN-Guidelines for Good Local Governance”

Some 80 participants who are DELGOSEA Network members from 10 countries, government officials from the ASEAN Member States, media representatives, representatives of key academic institutions, representatives of the ASEAN-Secretariat, and representatives of International Organizations join dialogue.

10 Cambodian delegates from government, civil society and media also join the meeting. Mr. Sok Sothy, Deputy Director of Policy Analysis and Development Division at the National Committee for Democratic Development Secretariat of the Ministry of Interior, presents Cambodia’s best practice and experience on local development and governance of decentralisation and deconcentration reform in the country.

Establishing nearly four years ago, DELGOSEA is an original network of cities from five countries – Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam and it is supported by local government associations and other stakeholders from governments, civil society and media.

At the heart of DELGOSEA endeavour is to exchange of the best practices and experiences on good governance among the network. Aiming to have more members from the 10 countries ASEAN by 2014, DELGOSEA has expanded its working on gaining accreditations to ASEAN and in that way influence ASEAN decision-making on local governance.

ASEAN: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.